Intra-aortic balloon (hereinafter IAB) apparatus, more particularly percentaneous IAB apparatus are now widely used for intra-aortic balloon pumping in cardiogenic shock due to acute infraction, post-operative severe low cardiac output state, or inability to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass, refractory unstable angina in the period before and after infarction, recurrent life-threatening tachyarrhythmias, and preoperative support in the present of severe left ventricular dysfunction. Additionally, intra-aortic balloon pumping has been used both experimentally and clinically to reduce infarct size. Such devices have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,150, the disclosure of which is incorporated, in toto, herein.
One method of inserting an IAB into a patient is via a non-surgical insertion of the device through the femoral artery of the patient. This is the so-called Seldinger technique.
After insertion of the balloon catheter into the patient's femoral artery, the device must be fed through the patient's arterial system until the IAB is correctly positioned for use, usually before the subclavian artery.
This insertion process can induce trauma to the walls of the patient's arterial or venous system. A problem attendant with the insertion procedure occurs in maneuvering the device along the arterial route which may require the twisting and turning of the device.
Trauma can be minimized by providing a flexible IAB which bends in conformance with the passageways. However, there must also be a balance of flexibility and rigidity so that some degree of directional control remains and to prevent or avoid kinking.
Although flexible IAB's have been commercially available for some time, there have been numerous occurrences of central lumen failures in IAB's. Prior art central lumen include a tube made from a single homogeneous plastic while other prior art IAB's have employed a central lumen having a metal coil embedded within the wall of a plastic tube of a single homogeneous plastic material.
These and similar problems have arisen with devices which are inserted into a patient's arterial or venous system and which need to be maneuvered through the system.